Stovetop fires are a well-known residential and commercial hazard. An unattended stovetop fire, for example a grease fire, can cause damage to nearby appliances and cabinets. Worse, stovetop fires can lead to structural damage or injury. Because the propensity for stovetop fires is so pervasive, an efficient means of automatic fire suppression is desired. Even if a stovetop fire is attended, an automatic extinguishing method may be more effective, safe, and expedient compared to manual means.
A number of conventional automatic stovetop fire extinguishers, which mount near a stovetop surface, are available. These include: U.S. Pat. No. 6,276,461 to Stager; U.S. Pat. No. 6,105,677 to Stager; U.S. Pat. No. 5,899,278 to Mikulec; U.S. Pat. No. 7,472,758 to Stevens and Weintraub; U.S. Pat. No. 7,610,966 to Weintraub et al; U.S. Pat. No. 5,518,075 to Williams; and U.S. Pat. No. 3,884,307 to Williams. The array of conventional fire suppression systems vary from activation by melting of a fusible pin (Stager '461), to melting a solder fusible plug (Stager '677), to burning of a fuse (Williams '307, Stevens '758), or to activating via a glass bulb fuse mechanism (Mikulec).
Conventional fire extinguishers, STOVETOP FIRESTOP® fire suppressors (Williams-Pyro, Inc., Fort Worth, Tex., USA), which are particularly well suited to a stovetop environment, include a container of an extinguishing or fire suppressing agent mounted to a vent hood above the stovetop and activated by a fuse. An example of such an extinguisher is shown in FIG. 1A. FIG. 1A is a partial cross-sectional view of a conventional fire suppressor, revealing the initiator 101 within the container 23 of the fire suppressor 100. Container 23 has a top wall 23B and a side wall 23C, while the bottom of the container is a lid 27, which comprises a lip 23A. Shown exiting from the lid 27 is fuse 61 which feeds into an initiator 101 in the fire suppressor 100. A fire on the stovetop ignites the fuse 61, which in turn detonates an initiator 101. The igniter opens the bottom 27 of the container 23, thereby allowing the disbursement of the extinguishing agent 29 onto the fire and the stovetop. The conventional fuse and initiator assembly is effective at automatically activating a fire suppressor under a stovetop fire condition. Still referring to FIG. 1 A, also shown on an outer side of lid 27 is a terminal 93. A magnet 31 and magnet housing 33 provide a vent hood mount for the conventional stovetop fire suppressor.
A conventional initiator, which may be found in a conventional fire-suppressor such as that shown in FIG. 1A, is shown in greater detail in FIG. 1B and is described below with reference to FIG. 1B. The conventional fuse and initiator assembly is effective at activating a fire suppressor in the presence of a stovetop fire. Manufacture and assembly of a conventional fuse and initiator assembly is described below with reference to FIG. 2. As in many conventional manufacturing processes and as with many products, it would be desirable to improve the efficiency of the manufacturing process of the initiator and to improve the initiator device if possible. It may also be desirable to have a fuse that is activated only by a flame and not by heat or electrical charge.